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Amar Chitra Katha #23
Shivaji
Shivaji is one of the most inspirational historical figures in contemporary India. This is especially true for the Marathi speaking region to which he belonged. He was born in the 17th century in Western India at a time when the area was under the oppressive rule of the neighboring states of Bijapur, Golconda and Ahmadnagar. Shivaji's father, a brave general, worked for the Bijapur state and held the rights of a sub-ruler in two districts in south India. Shivaji and his mother were left to administer the district around Pune, for which the family held hereditary ruling rights. Shivaji grew up in an unsettled time when the Deccan was in dispute between the southern Sultanates and the Mughal emperor who ruled in Delhi. Shivaji's mother tutored him from an early age to take up the cause of the liberation of his people from both the Mughals and the Sultanates. As a young price of an independent small principality, Shivaji collected a loyal band of followers and steadily proceeded to wrest control of more and more forts - the key seats of power. Shivaji's expansion lead to several battles with the neighboring states in which he prevailed despite a much smaller army through a combination of clever strategy and the support of the local population. Shivaji was one of the first Indian rulers to perceive a threat from European traders and to build a navy to keep them under check. Shivaji finally emerged a popular ruler and in 1674, a grand coronation ceremony was held in Raigad declaring Shivaji the 'Supreme King'. The Shivaji-inspired Maratha Empire continued in some form for more than a century after his death in 1680.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
262 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 18, 2025
Fascinating look at the founder of the Maratha clan system and his influence on India. The more ACK comics I read the more I wonder why America does not have a series of comics dedicated to history and politics. The sheer number of ACK titles is impressive; a friend of mine from India tells me that children relish reading these comics to learn more about their culture. One day maybe a comic company in America will follow this lead.
December 25, 2019
I always get goosebumps whenever i read Shivaji's story.
It was fun reading it.
Jai Bhavani!
Jai Shivaji!
It was fun reading it.
Jai Bhavani!
Jai Shivaji!
October 14, 2017
This Amar Chitra Katha collection is about Shivaji the Maratha ruler.
December 26, 2019
Not as detailed as other books
The book was written in such a way that author had only limited pages for publishing and had to fit in the story some how within those pages
The book was written in such a way that author had only limited pages for publishing and had to fit in the story some how within those pages
January 3, 2020
The Intelligent Warrior
Being from Maratha kingdom, I was fascinated by the culture and tradition I grew with. My favorite is Shivaji always.
Being from Maratha kingdom, I was fascinated by the culture and tradition I grew with. My favorite is Shivaji always.
January 26, 2020
Good summary
For a picture book, it captures the summary well, people should read the great Shivajis life in detail to understand our history better
For a picture book, it captures the summary well, people should read the great Shivajis life in detail to understand our history better
February 5, 2020
Inspiring tales of Shivaji
It is important to know Indian history and the freedom struggle, which is depicted very well in this coming series. This is essential for today's kids.
It is important to know Indian history and the freedom struggle, which is depicted very well in this coming series. This is essential for today's kids.
Read
February 25, 2020Kindle Unlimited has it's perks.
*My mind automatically started yelling Chatrapati Chatrapati Chatrapati..while reading this book*
*My mind automatically started yelling Chatrapati Chatrapati Chatrapati..while reading this book*
January 18, 2022
This is nice book and an inspirational story to read
July 28, 2022
Good
I wish there was more elaborate stories rather just the outline of stories. It is well illustrated and portrayed. Recommended for beginner enthusiasts
I wish there was more elaborate stories rather just the outline of stories. It is well illustrated and portrayed. Recommended for beginner enthusiasts
August 14, 2022
The great king
September 7, 2022
Short insight into Shivaji’s life.
October 4, 2022
Love to read about our childhood heroes. I still remember imitating Shivaji in my room before mirror. Wonderful to read it as comic strip.
October 28, 2022
Gud for the childern
Our children should know about our native kings and their stories, which is narated well in this book , gud for the beginners
Our children should know about our native kings and their stories, which is narated well in this book , gud for the beginners
January 24, 2023
Amazing Read
A People's King who fought for his motherland and kept the idea of freedom & dignity alive among his people even after his death.
A People's King who fought for his motherland and kept the idea of freedom & dignity alive among his people even after his death.
April 28, 2025
I learned a lot about Shivaji however I found this book wanting to condense all the battles and events in Shivaji's life. This made it slightly confusing.
June 2, 2023
ACK booklets as always a pleasure to read.
Pace of the booklet is little rushed, but justified since it is trying to cover a lot of ground within few pages. Notable memorable mentions are Jijabai’s teachings and Shivaji’s admirable valour during his battles.
Pace of the booklet is little rushed, but justified since it is trying to cover a lot of ground within few pages. Notable memorable mentions are Jijabai’s teachings and Shivaji’s admirable valour during his battles.
August 20, 2025
Ah, Amar Chitra Katha #23: Shivaji—that slim, glossy comic book that somehow manages to pack the thunder of a history tome into a few dozen pages of panels!!
Written by B.R. Bhagwat and illustrated by Pratap Mulick, it’s one of those childhood touchstones that cling to you like an old melody. For me, it’s impossible to think of Shivaji Maharaj without seeing Mulick’s bold strokes: the flaring mustache, the hawk-like eyes, the heroic stance astride a rearing horse.
What’s striking about this ACK is its balance between storytelling and historicity. Bhagwat doesn’t just reduce Shivaji to a set of bullet points—born here, fought there, crowned king, etc.—he frames him as a living, breathing figure who had to grapple with betrayals, strategy, and vision. The story gallops through key episodes: the escape from Aurangzeb’s court in the famous fruit basket stratagem, the daring raids, the consolidation of a swarajya built on resilience. It’s the kind of narrative that seizes the imagination of a young reader while planting the seed of historical curiosity.
But let’s be honest—the magic comes alive in Mulick’s art. His panels carry a kinetic energy, the clashes of sword and shield practically ringing off the page. The fortresses loom, the battlefields blaze, and Shivaji himself is never diminished into caricature. Instead, he emerges as both legendary and approachable: a warrior-king with charisma and humanity. For many kids across India, this comic wasn’t just an introduction to Shivaji—it was the image that shaped how they pictured him for years.
Reading it again as an adult, the layers reveal themselves differently. The nationalist fervor is evident, as with many Amar Chitra Kathas, painting Shivaji as a near-mythic defender of Hindu faith and freedom. Yet beneath the heroic strokes, there’s also the historical kernel of a shrewd statesman who understood geography, guerrilla warfare, and the need for resilience against overwhelming odds. That blend of fact and legend—half history lesson, half cultural myth-making—is what gives the book its peculiar power.
For me, Amar Chitra Katha #23 isn’t just a comic; it’s a time machine. It reminds me of those afternoons when history first entered my life, not through dusty textbooks but through panels bursting with colour and life. Shivaji, in these pages, isn’t a remote figure from the 17th century; he’s someone you root for, someone who lives in the pulse of the story.
It’s easy to dismiss these comics as “simplified” history, but perhaps simplification was their genius. They gave children—and later, reflective adults—the first scaffolding of historical imagination. From there, one could build, critique, deepen, and complicate. But the spark was lit here. And for many of us, Mulick’s Shivaji still rides at the edge of memory, sword raised, cloak flying, forever mid-charge.
Written by B.R. Bhagwat and illustrated by Pratap Mulick, it’s one of those childhood touchstones that cling to you like an old melody. For me, it’s impossible to think of Shivaji Maharaj without seeing Mulick’s bold strokes: the flaring mustache, the hawk-like eyes, the heroic stance astride a rearing horse.
What’s striking about this ACK is its balance between storytelling and historicity. Bhagwat doesn’t just reduce Shivaji to a set of bullet points—born here, fought there, crowned king, etc.—he frames him as a living, breathing figure who had to grapple with betrayals, strategy, and vision. The story gallops through key episodes: the escape from Aurangzeb’s court in the famous fruit basket stratagem, the daring raids, the consolidation of a swarajya built on resilience. It’s the kind of narrative that seizes the imagination of a young reader while planting the seed of historical curiosity.
But let’s be honest—the magic comes alive in Mulick’s art. His panels carry a kinetic energy, the clashes of sword and shield practically ringing off the page. The fortresses loom, the battlefields blaze, and Shivaji himself is never diminished into caricature. Instead, he emerges as both legendary and approachable: a warrior-king with charisma and humanity. For many kids across India, this comic wasn’t just an introduction to Shivaji—it was the image that shaped how they pictured him for years.
Reading it again as an adult, the layers reveal themselves differently. The nationalist fervor is evident, as with many Amar Chitra Kathas, painting Shivaji as a near-mythic defender of Hindu faith and freedom. Yet beneath the heroic strokes, there’s also the historical kernel of a shrewd statesman who understood geography, guerrilla warfare, and the need for resilience against overwhelming odds. That blend of fact and legend—half history lesson, half cultural myth-making—is what gives the book its peculiar power.
For me, Amar Chitra Katha #23 isn’t just a comic; it’s a time machine. It reminds me of those afternoons when history first entered my life, not through dusty textbooks but through panels bursting with colour and life. Shivaji, in these pages, isn’t a remote figure from the 17th century; he’s someone you root for, someone who lives in the pulse of the story.
It’s easy to dismiss these comics as “simplified” history, but perhaps simplification was their genius. They gave children—and later, reflective adults—the first scaffolding of historical imagination. From there, one could build, critique, deepen, and complicate. But the spark was lit here. And for many of us, Mulick’s Shivaji still rides at the edge of memory, sword raised, cloak flying, forever mid-charge.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews